November 2012 – In the Vintage Kitchen: Where History Comes To Eat

So a little bit ago, Ms. Jeannie met this wonderful character whom she affectionately called Christmas Pig…

Ms. Jeannie’s not one to notice looks first, but as you can see, he was nothing but handsome, with his distinguished rusty patches and his shabby chic patina. This pig had personality written all over him.

Ms. Jeannie made a home and a job for him on her kitchen shelves, holding down her fort of antique ironstone platters.

Pig seemed suited there for awhile. Each morning he’d greet Ms. Jeannie with a smile and a story. He’d recount his past, as she stood sleepy-eyed at the counter waiting for the coffee to brew.

A long time ago, Pig was born into a cast iron stable set made in England. His barn mates included a cow and a horse, a rooster, a lamb and some chickens, possibly there was a goat too (this part is a little hazy).

The stable was owned by a blond boy named Hugh, who fancied short pants and jam sandwiches and calling his mom, Mum. At some point in Pig’s early life, he and Hugh crossed the great ocean together, journeying to America via steamer ship. The crossing was long, but every afternoon, Hugh took Pig out to the lido deck to show him the waves and the water. The salt air settled on their skin.

Boy and Pig wound up in a wonderful old house in the States. Years passed. The boy grew up. Pig was packed away. For years Pig stayed among the packing papers dreaming of what his future would hold. One day, when he could stand the confines of the box no more, he mustered the courage to leave his world behind. Discovery was calling and Pig proclaimed himself a new explorer.

Fate eventually led Pig to Georgia. And then to Ms. Jeannie, where they became fast friends. Together they settled into Southern life.

But soon, Pig began to grow restless. Even though he enjoyed Ms. Jeannie’s company and his job of guarding the ironstone, he began to get antsy. His hooves started knocking against the shelves, then against the platters. At first it was just light little taps – barely audible, but as the days progressed, the taps grew louder and louder until they could no longer be ignored.

Ms. Jeannie understood. A restless spirit cannot be contained. It was time for Pig to move on.

“Let’s make this next trip spontaneous,” he told Ms. Jeannie. “You arrange it and I’ll go. Anywhere in the world.”

And spontaneous it was going to be! Exotic even. Ms. Jeannie was in touch with a lovely lady in Singapore who was ready to give Pig his next story. Thrilled by the prospect of crossing oceans again, Pig packed his bags, practiced his Chinese and headed off to the post office. Unfortunately, a one way postal ticket to Singapore wound up to be a much larger expense then even a Pig could afford, so he returned to Ms. Jeannie’s shelf once again. His dreams of Asian escapades so short lived he couldn’t even remember what they were.

“Keep your chin up,” Ms. Jeannie said. “Something will come along soon.”

Pig sighed and wallowed and tapped around for two days, before Ms. Jeannie reported good news. A porcine model was needed ASAP in New York City for a Christmas production! Pig was perfect for the part!

Giddy, Pig packed again. While he got ready, Ms. Jeannie told him of all of her New York City adventures growing up as a girl. Pig listened intently to every word. His imagination swirling with all the sights and the sounds and the possibilities that Ms. Jeannie suggested.

“Goodbye, sweet Pig,” Ms. Jeannie said as she dropped him off at the post office. “Keep in touch,” she whispered.

Two days later, Ms. Jeannie was delighted to receive a picture and a note from Christmas Pig…

Dear Ms Jeannie!

I did arrive in the city that never sleeps today, safe and sound! I’m enjoying the view from my new home and I’ll secretly tell you something: my new family is talking about me moving to some summer cottage, but I’m enjoying the bright lights in the city and I have bigger plans now… after my first model gig I’m going to look for an agent and I promise you, you will soon see me as a star on Broadway! I’ll blink at you from the posters!

Oh Pig! Ms. Jeannie looks forward to seeing your star:)

Be on the lookout readers – the next famous pig in the city could be our very own;)

Oh dear readers… it has been many, many weeks since Ms. Jeannie has been able to be in touch. She has missed all of you dearly. November found her busy with house guests and shop sales and holiday preparations. And although time is pressing and it seems like every moment is accounted for these days, Ms. Jeannie wanted to stop and say a big-hearted THANK YOU to all of you lovely readers. It is such a joy to be able to share these vintage adventures with all of you. And she hopes for more exciting time travels in the New Year.

As we approach the big day, Ms. Jeannie is looking forward to one of her most favorite Thanksgiving family traditions – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watching the parade is a highlight every year in the Ology household dating all the way back to when she was a little girl, in love with giant balloons and Broadway musicals.

Usually she watches it every year on TV, while she is cooking, but one year, when she was 8, her older brother and sister surprised her by taking her into the city to see the parade in person! The whole entire event was a treat! The streets were so crowded, and Ms. Jeannie so little, that she wound up spending most of the time on her brother’s shoulders. Having a 6′ foot tall big brother does come in handy! But whether you are there watching the festivities in person, or home watching it on tv – the level of energy and excitement is felt either way (as least to Ms. Jeannie!).

In 2014, the parade will be celebrating it’s 90th anniversary! So she thought it would be fun to take a look back at some vintage parade footage…

Here’s the parade in 1954. Check out those vintage floats and the tree at Rockefeller Center!

We have this man to thank for the creation of the giant balloons that have floated down the parade route for over 85 years…

anthony-frederick-sarg — Anthony Frederick Sarg (1880-1942), puppeteer and illustrator

Anthony or “Tony” as he was known, moved from Germany to New York City to test out his puppetry skills on Manhattan streets. Word got around that he was quite talented and Macy’s executives asked him to design a Christmas window display featuring his marionettes. That led to designing giant balloons for the parade. His first big balloon creation, Felix the Cat, debuted in the Thanksgiving Day parade in 1927.

Felix-the-Cat — Felix the Cat float, 1927. Photo courtesy of thephoenix.com

The address of Macy’s was sewn into the fabric of all the balloons and at the the end of the parade route they were let go from their tethers and left to float high above Manhattan. A few days later they’d float back down from the sky, withered and exasperated, and a prresent was waiting for any person who found them and returned them back to Macy’s. Can you imagine finding a giant Felix in your back yard?!

If you live in the New York area, you can go up to the streets surrounding the Museum of Natural History and watch the balloons being blown up the night before the parade. It is magical to see these flat pieces of billowy material take shape before your eyes. A bit of whimsy in the urban environment of hard lines and hard stone. Ms. Jeannie used to take her dates – it was very romantic and holiday-ish.

In this parade footage from 1935, you can see that it is quit tricky to maneuver the balloons. But no one seems to mind the minor faults and frailties of the procession. Even the street dogs are enjoying the spectacle!